Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema (2008)

That was an excellent one.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A South African Scarface but with a far more likable lead who does whine constantly when he doesn't get his way like Tony Montana did, and overall less of an a-hole lol.Anyway it's a definitely above average gangster-epos amazingly enough done with just 2 million dollars, it doesn't look cheap by any means.Compare that with for instance 'PUBLIC ENEMIES (2009)' which cost 50 times more at 100 million dollars, sure that was filmed in the US and had a all star Hollywood cast but this movie is still a bit better on most levels and if it is that cheap to make movies in South Africa then more people should do it.Good performances all around, yeah nothing to really complain about.The movie mixes English with Afrikaans, about 50/50 each or a stronger lenience towards English.It didn't blow me away in the same way 'TSOTSI (2005)' did when it came out but considering that that is one of my favorite movies it would be surprising if it did, still more than well worth a watch though.

I don't care about who produces a movie or how old it is, for me its just about entertainment. One minute into the movie it starts with a guy in the prison talking about his past....very creative. So I realized "this is just a copycat of all the other random gangster movies". And I was damn right.There are lots of scenes that are just dull and unrealistic, without being funny or cool at all. The whole story is too predictable, boring and also kind of nonsensical.Don't watch this, if you like clever, funny or realistic gangster movies. This movie has a 2 point bonus for being from Africa. If this had been a Hollywood flick, it would have reached a 6 at max. So be warned.

Lucky is a young black man in South Africa, who feels the oppression of apartheid. Once the apartheid ends, though... the life for blacks gets no easier. In his own form of affirmative action, he helps grow a large, powerful gang to get ahead. Is it right or wrong, and was it necessary? Ralph Ziman is a director from South Africa. While he started of in music video, once he came into his own, he told the tale of South Africa with a passion that no one else has yet matched. Recent films like "Invictus" or "District 9" try to capture the spirit, and in some ways do, but Ziman has it inside him and has the talent to let it out.I must say, there was an unfortunate naming choice with "Gangster's Paradise", and this gives it a cheaper feel. The original title, "Jerusalema", was more than adequate and gives the film a mature moniker that it richly deserves. I am not sure who felt American audiences couldn't handle the original title, but they have done the film a great disservice.We have seen our share of South Central Los Angeles gang movies. Here is a film that has parallels, but offers an interesting moral perspective on a racial, global issue. Can you empathize with a thieving thug? If you watch this film, you just might.

A movie that speaks to the core of the human spirit. As much as the movie is South African, anyone who has been faced with hardship will relate. Our dreams, when they shatter and fade painfully silently and the dark talents we discover in desperation for a moment to live the life we once aspired to. Seiphemo, Zekele and the supporting cast are brilliant on a script that pulls no punches, with impeccable direction. The overall execution leaves no vague on what goes wrong and how it becomes celebrated as fruits of crime are reaped and shared by even the most moral in our lives. South African cinema has moved to the next stage in evolution i.e. reflection on some of the darker sides of the new South Africa. A masterpiece.